Queer Rebels Productions, a four-year-old production company
that showcases queer artists of color, will be celebrating its most successful
year yet Sunday, December 9 at El Rio. Expected to pack the house, the event is
doubling as an end-of-the-year company benefit and CD release party for Queer
Rebels co-founder and co-director KB Boyce (a.k.a. TuffNStuff, Drag King of the
Blues). Boyce, who identifies as two-spirit, is notorious for his gripping
vocals and jarring guitar skills.

Attendees will get to enjoy performances by some of the same
artists responsible for selling out the venues of prior Queer Rebels events.
Jezebel Delilah X, a dynamic local performance artist and writer, will be
emceeing the event between performances by Bay Area burlesque legend The Lady
Ms. Vagina Jenkins, punk rock dancer Brontez Purnell, poet Elena Rose, musician
Star Amerasu, and slam poetry champion Joshua Merchant in addition to
TuffNStuff.

This year has been especially important for Queer Rebels.
Co-founders Boyce, in his late 40s, and femme-identified Celeste Chan, in her
early 30s, launched the company's first show in 2010. This year they have had
six shows including Queer Rebels of the Harlem Renaissance, which was featured
at the National Queer Arts Festival and most recently, Exploding Lineage, a
compilation of 14 experimental films showcased at the New York Queer Experimental
Film Festival, known as MIX NYC.

Over 800 people have seen a Queer Rebels show this year as
the company has generated around 20 media articles and, since traveling to New
York gained national recognition. Boyce and Chan intend to maintain the
company's growth to continue to document and amplify the work of queer artists
of color in addition to connecting queer artists of color with each other
across generations.

"We've got this amazing roster of artists and are only
expanding," Chan said. "Some folks have told us that participating in
Queer Rebels has been life changing for them, that in their whole performing
history they've never found such a safe space that's affirmed so many aspects
of their identity."

Not only has it been affirming for the artists participating
in Queer Rebels, but for Boyce and Chan, too. Boyce realized early on as a
"punk rocker in New York" in addition to being a queer person of
color that people like him had little chance of being artistically recognized.

"I thought if I had a production company my friends and
I would get seen, heard, and respected," Boyce said. "And now I
finally have one. I'm living my dream with an amazing community."

Event attendees will also be able to see a few short films
that were showcased at MIX NYC including a film by Chan herself titled Queer
Origins, a mash-up of experimental
animation and queer femme performance.

"I'm excited to show it," Chan said. "When
you see your communities' stories through art it can be a lifeline. There's so
much negativity in the world, so much that's holding us all down. We really
want to create something better for our artists, our audiences and everyone.
This is who we are and we're unapologetic."

El Rio is located at 3158 Mission Street in San Francisco.
The event takes place from 7 to 11 p.m. Admission is sliding scale $7-$10. No
one turned away for lack of funds. The venue is wheelchair accessible and
attendees are encouraged to arrive fragrance-free.